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When Edgar Quezada first moved to the United States as a teenager from Guatemala, he didn’t know the establishment below his second story Sag Harbor apartment would one day become a testament to his own hard work.
After spending years on the East End earning his bachelor’s degree in business from Southampton College and becoming the owner of two Hamptons businesses, Mr. Quezada returned to the first floor of that building in May to open his Mexican take-out restaurant, Cilantro’s.
Cilantro’s takes the place of Agave’s on the corner of Division Street and Union, boasting a new menu, new recipes and lower prices, according to Edgar’s brother, Fernando Quezada, 28, co-manager of the restaurant that opened this year. Fernando can usually be seen behind the counter in a chili-pepper red baseball cap and avocado green shirt that matches the interior wall colors.
“We were looking for a space to open a deli-type of restaurant,” said Edgar, who also owns both a hair salon and an office supplies shop in Bridgehampton. “When we learned Agave’s was for sale, we were really interested.”
The family set to work redecorating the inside, adding their own sombreros, ponchos and even a Mexican puppet to the walls. They didn’t stop there.
Although the menu still offers up traditional Mexican dishes, the manager says they are unique to Cilantro’s and more authentic than what diners will find elsewhere.
Appetizers include “tres amigos,” with tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole for $5.95; calamari fritto salsa roja, with sweet sauce and lemon for $7.95; and nachos grande.
More substantial fare includes the quesadillas, ranging in price from $4.95 served with cheese to $11.95 with shrimp; chimichangas from $7.95 with chicken or beef to $10.95 with shrimp; burritos from $6.95 with cheese to $11.95 with shrimp; tacos from $7.95 with beef to $11.95 with shrimp; enchiladas from $7.95 with black beans to $10.95 with shrimp; and tostadas from $8.95 for chicken or flounder to $11.95 for shrimp.
“Everything sells,” said the manager, noting that burritos are the most popular lunch item.
One of the more popular dinner items is fajitas—served with sautéed onions, green and red peppers, cilantro, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream—that can be ordered with steak, shrimp, chicken, pork or veggies, ranging in price from $10.95 to $12.95.
“A lot of people are saying ‘it’s good,’ ‘it’s fantastic,’” the manager said, standing in the restaurant one morning right before the lunch crowd started filing in. “That’s why they come.” The restaurant is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving breakfast along with lunch and dinner. Breakfast traffic has been a little sluggish, but the manager hopes it will pick up.
From behind the counter, Fernando pointed to the empty space near the front of the restaurant: “The only thing is it’s sad we don’t have tables in here,” he said.
According to the Edgar, they are waiting for a permit to set up tables both inside and outside.
“We’re hoping for the next season to be ready,” he said, explaining the restaurant is still a work in progress and he hopes to make minor improvements to both the setup and the menu in the coming months. Improvements will include figuring out a way to deliver take-out orders beyond Sag Harbor and into East Hampton, where the owner says many of his customers travel from.
Meanwhile, Edgar is already talking about possibly opening another restaurant. “Everybody loves Mexican food,” he said.
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